Nightmares
by godinaburntcoffeepot
Summary: Annabeth and Percy are having nightmares, and find themselves needing the comfort of the other. What happens when Chiron finds them sleeping in the same bed? Quick one-shot, percabeth.


Percy stumbled through a corridor, dragging Annabeth behind him. His breathing was heavy and his legs burned. Glancing behind him, he could see the monster chasing them. Always in his dreams, but Percy could never identify it. Perhaps a monster that they saw in Tartarus, perhaps a mix of all of them. He whipped his head back as he stumbled on the uneven floor. He simultaneously lost his grip on Annabeth and took her down with him. He cried out, but no one would come. The monster was dangerously close now. Percy could hear it's feet pounding on the floor. He dragged himself up onto his feet, but it was too late for Annabeth. Her ankle had given out, and she couldn't bring herself up. She called out, "Percy! Percy!" Percy could hear her tears in her voice. Percy screamed. He had done this to Annabeth, and she was going to die. He had killed the love of his life. Before he could do anything else. Annabeth was still calling Percy's name as the monster pounced.

"Percy!" Firm hands shook Percy's shoulder as he jerked away. Opening his tear-crusted eyes, Percy saw a trembling Annabeth. Her hair was messy and tied back, and she was wearing pajamas. Her face was streaked with tears.

"Annie?" Percy asked. "Are you ok, what's wrong?"

Annabeth let out a shaking breath. "Just nightmares. Can I...?" she gestured at Percy's blanket. Percy immediately lifted the corner of his fleece throw, and she clambered under it. Percy rubbed her back comfortingly, and she nuzzled her nose in the crook of his neck. Their legs automatically tangled and arms wrapped around each other. Percy was relieved to have Annabeth there, her warm body reassuring him that she was alive. Their nightmares had always lessened when they were together, but at camp sleeping together was strictly forbidden. Percy thought vaguely of Chiron's wrath and cleaning harpies eating him, but it was more important than Annabeth was not burdened. His benefits were just an added bonus. Comforted by the other, the couple quickly fell asleep in each other's arms.

\--

Annabeth woke up to tapping in her cabin. But... She didn't have a bottom bunk in her cabin. Annabeth looked around and remembered her night before. Awful nightmares had riddled her. In her sleep, she had been separated from Percy. She had been convinced he was dead. When she woke up, she knew she had to be with Percy. He hadn't looked like he was having sweet dreams either, and he welcomed her into his bed. She had slept soundly and nightmare-free with him.

Annabeth focused her gaze upon the source of the tapping, and her heart stopped. Chiron the centaur stood in the doorway of the Poseidon cabin, tapping a hoove on the wood floor. His face was stern, possibly angrier than Annabeth had ever seen it. She realized what she had done, the camp rule she had broken. A boy and girl camper sleeping in the bed was one of the biggest no-nos at camp. What if Annabeth and Percy were kicked out! Annabeth scrambled off of Percy's chest, which took a but because their legs were tangled together. The movement woke Percy up.

"Wha-" Percy's face paled as his gaze fell upon the irate director. "Oh shit."

"OUT." Chiron pointed to the door. He didn't have to tell Annabeth twice. She scrambled off Percy's bed, and Chiron moved out of the way to let her through. She threw Percy an apologetic glance as she left. Looking around the camp commons, Annabeth stopped dead. She had slept late, and all the campers were either at breakfast or on their way, leaving her in plain view of all of them. All of their eyes focused on her as she stumbled out of the doorway of Percy's cabin. She became hyper-aware of the fact that she had no bra on and folded her arms across her chest.

"Keep moving, missy. Let's go." Chiron's hard voice moved Annabeth out of her embarrassing stupor. She turned towards Chiron. Behind him, Percy stood in his doorway, neck red with a blush as he realized the audience they had.

"Where?" Annabeth asked in a semi-sarcastic tone. She was angry at Chiron for making her leave Percy, even though he had every right to be mad at her for breaking the camp rules.

"Your cabin. You're grounded." Annabeth and never seen Chiron ground a camper, and she had NEVER seen him this angry.

"Excuse me?"

"You're. Grounded." Chiron's voice trembled with anger.

"You can't ground me!"

"You can't break my rules."

" It's not even that big of a deal!" Annabeth threw her arms up in exasperation but encircled herself in them when she remembered her lack of underclothing.

"It is to me!" They were all but screaming now, and if there were any campers who hadn't been focused on them to start with there were now.

"Sorry, Chiron, that not everybody lives by your 3000-year-old standards!"

"I'm trying to keep you modest, and any parent in this day and age would do the same!" He said "this day and age" almost mockingly, like this day and age weren't half as good as his day and age.

"Nothing even happened! We slept together, in the most modest way possible!" This time Annabeth returned the mockery, saying "modest" in a purposefully bad impression of Chiron's deep monotone.

"I don't want to hear it." Annabeth, who had turned away from judging eyes and the angry centaur, whipped back around towards him.

"You're not even being logical!" she cried. Behind him, she could see Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque, her friends in vacation here, paling at the argument. They both had about the same opinions as Chiron on the topic of sleeping together, so she knew they weren't really supporting her.

"Get in your cabin."

"No!"

"Yes. I don't want to see you two-" he pointed at Annabeth and Percy, "together at all this week. Ok?"

Annabeth was about to make a snarky remark, but she spotted Percy shaking his head frantically behind a white-faced, shaking with anger Chiron. Was nobody in this world going to support her? She whipped around, angry tears starting to fall from her eyes. She walked to Cabin 8 and slammed the door.

\--

After dinner, which Annabeth had not attended, and the campfire, which Annabeth had not attended, her brothers and sisters filed into the cabin. They were all laughing with the normal excitement of the night, but they sobered when they saw Annabeth. None of them said anything. They had all seen the wrath of Annabeth and did not wish to experience that upon themselves. Annabeth laid down but did not try to rest. She had no want for nightmares, and she was mad at Percy. He should have let her fire back at Chiron. But NO, the great Percy Jackson is always right! It was pitch black outside, and her cabinmates were all asleep. Annabeth had had to go to the bathroom all day but hadn't wanted to show her face for shame. Now that everyone was sleeping, she could go to the bathroom in peace. Quiet as a mouse, she snuck out the door and jogged to the bathhouse.

After she had finished, Annabeth walked outside and took a deep breath. For a summer camp, the cabins sure could get stuffy! Annabeth had only just started walking back when she heard a "Pssst!" She whipped around. The last thing she needed was Connor Stoll to ask her about this morning, and if someone were to sneak out at night, it would be him.

"Psst! Annabeth!" Now the whisper was closer. She looked towards the source of the noise to see... Percy? His eyes were so green that you could see them in the darkness, and the moon was bright enough to silhouette him against the bare ground.

"Come here!" Annabeth was mad at Percy, sure, but this could be the only chance to see him in a week. She followed him.

Percy lead her to the beach. He only turned to look at her once they were fully out of sight of anyone at the camp. He pressed his lips to hers and wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry about this morning. Are you ok? You aren't having nightmares again tonight?" Percy's deep voice was etched with worry. With a start, Annabeth realized that Percy didn't want to just see her, he wanted to make sure she was all right. And she had embarrassed him today too; if she hadn't slept in his cabin none of this would have happened. She had nothing to be mad at him about- he had simply been trying to lessen their drastic sentence of isolation. She kissed him hard and fierce.

"I'm alright. I love you so much," she told him. He sat her down on the cool sand and wrapped an arm around her. They spent a quiet night together, and when the parted with the promise to do the same the next night, Annabeth was much lighter-hearted.


End file.
